Student-athletes honored at recognition event

In early May, Lewis & Clark hosted the annual student-athlete recognition dessert, honoring outstanding athletes of the year and outgoing seniors.

Hannah Dal Pra ’16 (Softball) and Kodie Artner ’15 (Track and Field)

Pioneer Rookies of the Year

Rookie of the Year is awarded for the best overall athletic performance by a student-athlete in his or her first year of intercollegiate competition.

In her first season with the softball team, Hannah Dal Pra earned a .375 batting average, ranking her 10th in the Northwest Conference. She also set school records for the most runs batted in collected in a season and the most home runs in a season. For her work, Dal Pra earned a spot on the NWC First Team.

Kodie Artner is already ranked fourth all-time in the 400 meter hurdles for the Lewis & Clark track and field team. He capped off his season with a victory in the hurdles at the Northwest Conference Championships, earning his first NWC champion distinction and NWC First Team honor. He currently ranks 12th in the nation in the hurdles.

Andrew Traver ’15 (Football/Baseball)

Dan Jones Multi-Sport Athlete of the Year

This award goes to a male student-athlete who has excelled as a member of two or more teams.

Andrew Traver started in all nine of the football team’s games as a linebacker and ended the season ranked second in the Northwest Conference in tackles per game. For his efforts on the field, Traver earned a spot on the NWC honorable mention list. As the baseball team’s starting catcher, Traver ended the season with a .968 fielding percentage. He ranked first on the team and 11th in the NWC in home runs.

Emily Thomas ’13 (Cross Country/Track and Field)

Mary Hunter Multi-Sport Athlete of the Year

This award goes to a female student-athlete who has excelled as a member of two or more teams.

Emily Thomas finished the women’s cross country season with her first Northwest Conference champion honor in the sport while being named the conference Runner of the Year. On the track, Thomas broke her own school record in the 5k, and she is nationally ranked in both the 5k and the 10k. At the NWC Championships, Thomas finished as the conference champion in both of her events.

Dexter Pearce ’13 (Basketball)

Dell Smith Male Scholar Athlete

This award goes to a sophomore, junior, or senior with at least a 3.25 cumulative GPA and outstanding contributions as an athlete.

After being sidelined for 10 of the men’s basketball team’s 26 games, Dexter Pearce returned to the Pioneers as a starter. Pearce scored in double figures in nine games, including a team high 19 points in the Northwest Conference tournament. Pearce earned a spot on the NWC honorable mention list. Following graduation, he will attend Duke University in pursuit of a law degree.

Hannah Frank ’13 (Swimming)

Judy McMullen Female Scholar Athlete

This award goes to a sophomore, junior, or senior with at least a 3.25 cumulative GPA and outstanding contributions as an athlete.

A senior captain for the women’s swim team, Hannah Frank is regularly on the Dean’s List. This season she earned a spot on the Northwest Conference second team for her finish in the 50 freestyle. Next year, Frank will attend Vanderbilt University in pursuit of a dual degree in economics and law for her Ph.D. and juris doctorate.

James Hollins ’13 (Basketball)

Joe Huston Athlete of the Year

This award goes to the best overall individual athletic performance by a Pioneer male student-athlete.

After being forced to sit out the first eight games of the Lewis & Clark men’s basketball season, James Hollins scored 14 points in 23 minutes in his first game back. Hollins went on to score a season-high 36 points against Puget Sound. The senior guard finished the season ranked seventh in the Northwest Conference in points per game and 14th in rebounds per game. A two-time NWC Player of the Week, Hollins capped off his season with a spot on the NWC First Team.

Kristina Williams ’13 (Basketball)

Lois Smithwick Athlete of the Year

This award goes to the best overall individual athletic performance by a Pioneer female student-athlete.

Kristina Williams led the Lewis & Clark women’s basketball team to its third consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament and the program’s first outright Northwest Conference Championship since transitioning to Division III. The guard started all 29 of the Pioneers’ games, leading the team in points, scoring per game, and rebounds, while recording a school record 12 double-doubles during the course of the season. Williams was named the NWC Women’s Basketball Player of the Week three times during the season. She made her third appearance on the NWC All-Conference First Team, received her second NWC Player of the Year honor, and was named to the D3hoops.com All-West Region First Team. She won the program’s first All-America honors, earning a spot on both the D3hoops and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association All-America First Teams.

These awards are for exceptional contributions each year in the areas of athletics, scholarship, and service and leadership to the department and the campus community. The winning student-athletes must have competed each year of attendance at Lewis & Clark.

Emily Thomas has helped propel the Lewis & Clark women’s cross country program to the top of the Northwest Conference and West Region in her four years. During her time at Lewis & Clark, Thomas has been named the Mary Hunter Multi-Sport Athlete of the Year two times, and she was a co-Lois Smithwick Female Athlete of the Year last year. Thomas was part of the women’s cross country team that earned United States Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches’ Association All-Academic Honors, and she made the Lewis & Clark Dean’s List. Thomas has been an active part of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. She has also worked in the Lewis & Clark Womyn’s Center and is a part of the health professionals club.

While at Lewis & Clark, Kristina Williams has made three appearances on the D3hoops West Region team. She capped off her career with a spot on the D3hoops and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association All-America First Teams, the first NCAA All-America honors in Lewis & Clark women’s basketball history. A psychology major, Williams has worked within the academic support, sports information, and dean of students offices.

A captain on the baseball team, Geoff Wertz has played in 124 games for the Pioneers. This season was Wertz’s best since coming to Lewis & Clark, ending with a .305 batting average and a team-leading 12 doubles. Wertz ranks 5th in the Northwest Conference in at bats, 11th in doubles, and 13th in hits. Off the field, Wertz can be seen at other Lewis & Clark games as part of the infamous “Clown Crew,” setting up and tearing down at football, volleyball, and basketball games. A representative of the baseball team on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, Wertz is a physics major who is a steady fixture on the Lewis & Clark Dean’s List and will be inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. Wertz is also a member of the NWC All-Academic Team.